Beehive.



E. HAINS.

BEEHIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I. 1915.

Patented Jan. 2, 191'?.

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E. HAINS.

BEEHIVE.

APPucAJloN FILED 1uLY1. 1915.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917K.

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EDSON HAINS, OF BEDFORD, OHIO.

BEEHIVE. Y

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Application 4led July 1, 1915. Serial No. 37,554.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDsoN I-IAINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bedford, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Beehives, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beingA had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference characters marked thereon.

This invention relates to bee-hives and the accessories thereto.

Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of a durable, adjustable, portable hive that embodies numerous desirable features that make the home for the bees and the working conditions comfortable and convenient. A very important consideration in successful apiculture is the utilization of the bees to the utmost in gathering honey, by reducing to a minmum the waste of bee energy involved in keeping the hive well ventilated and at the proper temperature in all seasons, and furnishing comfortable working and living conditions, thereby creating contentment in the colony, lessening of the liability to swarm outside, and increasing the working capacity or eiiiciency of the bees.

The present invention provides easy access of the bees from one compartment to another, thereby facilitating the feeding of honey into sections out of other combs, as extracting combs, brood combs, chunk combs, etc. It provides overflow space, thereby preventing crowding into main apartment, as is often the case in large colonies, and giving the bees more liberty to scatter and relieve the brood nest of congestion. The colony is kept warmer in winter, quieter in spring, and cooler in summer, the bees are not compelled to crowd in hot weather into their winter quarters or cluster outside in a storm, or in hot sunshine, or in the open daylight for a longer time than is desirable. This has a tendency to contentment in the colony and lessens the liability of the acquired habit of swarming. Bees show appreciation of conditions and treatment, and if handled carefully, given comfortable and convenient quarters, and supplied with young quiet queens, the result is that very few, if any, swarms leave the hive, thereby causing less loss and trouble to the keeper.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for readily inspecting or watching the working of the bees without disturbing the hive.

lThe invention also provides a well ventilated attic over the super and means for ready access to said attic and super without disturbance to other parts of the hive.

In View of the above and other objects that will be hereinafter disclosed, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts as described in the following specification and pointed out definitely in the claims.

' In the drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is an end elevation of the improved bee-hive, and Fig. 2 is a similar view partially in central vertical section. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a central vertical section through the gable and attic. Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the gable. Fig. 10 is a Section on line 10 10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a supporting shoe, and Fig. 12 is a section through said shoe. Fig. 13 is a perspective of a foundation plate, and Fig. 14 is a section through said plate.

Throughout the drawings and specification similar characters of reference are employed to designate similar parts.

As a bee-hive is exposed to all kinds and conditions of weather, it is essential that it be of substantial construction and have a firm foundation, and as it is frequently desirable to change the location of the hive, I provide portable foundation members 1 which are preferably made of concrete having a member 2 embedded in the top thereof. The member 2 is provided with a channel 3 adapted to contain water or other suitable liquid to repel ants or other insects, or in case the member 2 is made of wood, the channel may contain a preservative solution. rlhe member 2 is also provided with a vertical corner flange 4. Detachable members 5 are adapted to nest in the members 2, these members 5 may be short as shown in the several figures of the drawings, or they may be provided in series of various lengths, one of which is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 11. By this arrangement the hive may be adjusted to various heights, the

members' 5 fori'iiing siippo'itin'g'il'egs. is a. very advantageous feature, asitY frequently occurs that increased'space'isidesired below the basement story for the sertion of a foreign swarm of bees to "be coerced into thehiveabove, or it may be advisable to elevate the hive on'ac'count of moisture, invasion bymiceor for other reasons. The legs 5 being independent members make ity possiblev to readily elevate .the hive as a whole, without, disarranging the parts or disturbing 'the contents.

AA sub-basement member 6 is provided withioutboards 7 on all four corners, and is adapted to rest ontlie tops of the supporting members 5, the outboards 7 overlapping said iiiemb'ersu as shown.l Above the sub-basement the basement proper, or brood chamber` 8 lprovided with al detachable bottom 9,'said bottomliaving perforations 10 therein. and, strips of cloth or wicks 11 depending therefrom. `llhewieks, 11 depend into water receptaclesq12 and serve as combined water conveyers and ladders for the bees. `The basement member 8 vis also provided with outboardY corners 13 adapted to overlap the subbasement member 6. A detachable perfoi-atedvbasemeiit ceilinglllis provided, the said rceilingforming a floor for the working and storage chamber 15which is' situated directly above thevbrood chamber 8 and is. provided vwithoutboard' corners 16 which overlap the broodfvchamber member. The super 17 situated directly above the storage chamber `15visrtlilrev'fise provided with outboard corners which overlap Vsaid storage chaniberl The superhas aifpei'forated detachable bottom 18, Above the super is an attic having a removable floor 19 and covered bv agablejroof,jthe two membersf20 and 2,1Y of which are attached to each other bylhinges y22 onthev ridge, the member 21 being in turn hinged to the frame 23 which overlaps the super 17 The gable ends of the attic are provided with framed screens 24C which are held in place by turn buttons 25 and may bereadily removed andv replaced by solid closure members when weather conditions justify same. The attic thus formed providesl a convenient 'storage room for small -tools and supplies, Vand having the doublehinged-roof, makes it easily accessiblewithout'disturbing the other parts of the hive., rlhe hinged roof andthe reniovable attic floor also provides ready access to the s i'iperwithout other disturbance.

A drawbridge or ladder 26 is hinged to the underside of'the 'floor member 14C and provides convenient means of travel for the bees from the brood chamber 8 to the worlringchamber Y1,5..V The ladder 26 is raised andlowered from'the outside of the hive i bya cordor chain 27.

tAii noverflow,chamberh28 is formed at each end of the brood chamber 8 by memand comfortable. l extreme heat Yor cold an outer covering of ,L

bers'l2'9 and spacer strips 30' attached to the exterior of the walls of said chamber 8.

'The'side walls'of the brood chamber are ,provided with openings 31, and around these openings is arranged a frame 32 provided with grooves for the insertion of Ascreeny frames 33 or window frames 34egfor the purposes of Vventilation Yor inspection.

cloth envelop member-'39. The strips 37 areV provided with perforations 40, thereby .allowing tlie bees the freedom ofthe entire overflow chamber and permitting them Eto pass from Asaid overflow into the super. Openings 41 'are provided from 'the Vwork` Y ing chamber into'the overflow 36,v andfopen- L ings fromthe super 17 into the overiiow 36. The overflow chamber, as shown in the drawings extends onlyover a portion of the working chamberand the super, but'it 'will be understood that itV can be extended'vertically and made to envelop the entire work chamber, super, Vand broodcliamber, allowingfreedom of accessk from the overflow chamber to substantially all apartments of the hive. It is desirablet'o'make the enveloping member 'of cloth l as the bees. can cling thereto and travel freely :over all pai-ts, and itv also. makes the `chamber light As a. protection from more or less heavy paper may beprovided.

The improved hive and subsidiary devices lierei'nbefore described, aims to increase the facility of labor, thereby increas? ing the honeyp'roduction, and at'the 4same timefdecreasing the bee-keepers losses and troubles.

What I vclaim and desire Ato secure by Letters Patent is l 1. In a` beeliive, the combination of foundation members; detachable legs supported by said foundation members; a sub-basement member vsupported on the. legs and provided with corner Outboards whichy overlap said legs; a. brood 'chamber above the sub-'basement and having cor-ner out-boards which overlap the exterior corners of the sub-basement member; ya storage chamber above the brood chamber andwhaving,V corner outboards which overlapl the exterior corners of the '.broodcha'mber; afsuper` abo-ve the super which overlap the exterior corners of the storage chamber; andA anfattic A4above said supe storage chambencorner out-boards'on said Y 2. In a beehive, a brood chamber elevated and supported on foundation members7 the fioor of said brood chamber having openings therein, strips of fabric attached to the underside of said floor and depending therefrom for the purpose set forth.

3. In a beehive, the combination of a brood chamber; and overflow chambers outside the brood chamber and entrances from lie overiow chamber to said brood cham- 4. In a beehive, the combination of a brood chamber having openings in two opposite sides thereof; interchangeable screens, windows, and closure members for covering said openings; overflow chambers arranged on the exterior of the other two sides of the brood chamber, and openings from the overflow chambers into the brood chamber.

5. In a beehive, the combination of a brood chamber having openings in two opposite sides thereof; interchangeable screens, Windows, and closure members for covering said openings; overflow chambers arranged on the exterior of the other two sides of the brood chamber; a detachable floor in said brood chamber having openings therein; strips of fabric attached to the underside of said floor in juxtaposition to said openings and depending therefrom; and a sub-basement member below the brood chamber.

6. In a beehive, the combination of a brood chamber; a detachable floor in said brood chamber, said floor having openings therein; strips of fabric depending from the underside of said floor; a sub-basement below the brood chamber; a storage chamber above the brood chamber; a detachable floor having openings therein, in the storage chamber; a draw-bridge in the brood chamber; means for raising and lowering said draw-bridge; an overow chamber on the exterior of the storage chamber and having entrances to said storage chamber.

7. In a beehive, the combination of a brood chamber; a detachable floor in said brood chamber, said floor having openings therein; strips of fabric depending from the underside of said floor; a sub-basement below the brood chamber; a storage chamber above the brood chamber; a detachable floor having openings therein, in the storage chamber; a draw-bridge in the brood chamber; means for raising and lowering said draw-bridge; an overflow chamber on the exterior of the storage chamber; a super above the storage chamber; a detachable iioor in said super, said super and storage chambers having entrances therefrom into the overflow chamber.

8. In a beehive, a storage chamber, vertical spacing members attached to the exterior corners of the walls of said storage chamber, an intervening space between said spacing members, transverse openings in the spacing members connecting with the said intervening space, a fabric enveloping member circumscribing the storage chamber outside the yspacing members thereby forming an overflow chamber, and entrances from said overiiow chamber to the storage chamber.

9. In a beehive, a storage chamber, vertical spacing members attached to the exterior corners of the walls of said -storage chamber, an intervening space between said spacing members, transverse openings in the spacing members communicating with the intervening space, a fabric enveloping member circumscribing the storage chamber outside the spacing members, and a secondary enveloping member outside said fabric enveloping member thereby forming an overflow chamber' and a protection therefor, and entrances from said overiiow chamber to the storage chamber.

10. In a beehive, the combination of the storage chamber, the super located above said storage chamber, an overflow chamber circumscribing the storage chamber and super, the walls of the storage chamber and super being provided with openings into said overflow chamber.

l1. In a beehive, the. combination of a super, an attic above said super, a removable floor in said attic, removable end wall members in the attic, and means for retaining said end walls in position.

l2. In a beehive, the combination of a super, an attic above said super, a removable floor in said attic, and interchangeable screen frames and closure members for insertion in the ends of said attic.

13. In a beehive, an attic located above the super, a removable floor in said attic, a gable roof over said attic, said roof consisting of two oppositely inclined members hinged to each other at the ridge, a frame circumscribing the super, the lower edge of one of the roof members being hinged to said frame.

EDSON HAINS.

Witness L. F. GRIsWoLD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, D. C. 

